Saving Kenya's children born of incest

Muliro Telewa - BBC News

This BBC article highlights the situation of children born if incest in Kenya. These children, according to the article, are referred to as “Taboo babies.” They are at risk of death due to the traditional punishment in many Kenyan communities. The article emphasizes that, while it is not legal for a community to impose a death penalty (only a judge can do this), in rural areas it is part of customary law, as such babies are considered cursed. 

"Incest is taboo in this part of Kenya as it is almost everywhere," says the article. "According to Kenyan laws it is punishable by five years in prison or life imprisonment for sex with a minor. But for centuries the traditional punishment in many Kenyan communities has been death - and among the Bukusu it is not necessarily of the man or woman involved but of the child born from the forbidden union."